The Pittsburgh Penguins are set to enter a fairly important contest against the Carolina Hurricanes and for the second straight game, Alex Nedeljkovic will get the nod in goal.
Head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed that Nedeljkovic will start between the pipes for the Penguins rather than starter Tristan Jarry.
Sullivan: Nedeljkovic will start. #Pens
— Wes Crosby (@OtherNHLCrosby) December 21, 2023
Nedeljkovic has had a quality season through his first eight games played; 4-2-1 record with a .925 save percentage and 2.58 goals against average.
This will be Nedeljkovic’s first time starting in back-to-back games as a Penguin and the third straight game he makes an appearance.
Jarry was pulled for Nedeljkovic during the 7-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
This could be a wise move by Sullivan as the Penguins have struggled to get the better of the Hurricanes for quite some time.
The last time the Penguins beat the Hurricanes was March 13, 2022, and still stands as Jarry’s only win over them.
Jarry is 1-4-2 in seven games against the Hurricanes with a .904 save percentage and 3.45 goals against average.
Nedeljkovic started his career with the Hurricanes but has a 3-2-0 record against them during his time with the Detroit Red Wings.
Sullivan stated that starting Nedeljkovic is the right decision for tonights contest.
This will be Nedeljkovic’s third start in four games.
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